Most people think that identifying serious injuries must be easy after a car crash. Certain types of traumatic injuries, like broken bones, are readily apparent after a collision. It is all but impossible to ignore injuries that produce immediate symptoms that limit functional abilities.
Those with broken bones often cannot put weight on the affected body part. In many cases, the broken limb or extremity has a distorted appearance after a fracture. Many of the most serious injuries commonly associated with car crashes are immediately obvious. Other injuries may require professional medical evaluation to diagnose. That does not necessarily mean that those injuries are less serious, only that the injured party may not be able to diagnose themselves.
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are among the most catastrophic injuries possible in a car crash scenario. One of the reasons people have a hard time identifying the warning signs of brain injuries is that symptoms can be substantially different from one case to the next.
How does a TBI manifest?
During an immediately after a crash, one of the first warning signs of a brain injury is a sudden loss of consciousness. People who pass out even for a few seconds may have suffered trauma to the head or violent motions that could have damaged their brains.
People may feel disoriented and may notice a headache developing. Others may experience a sense of nausea or dizziness. In many cases, symptoms start small and then slowly progress as the pressure inside the skull increases over time.
Some people with TBIs report cognitive symptoms. They have difficulty focusing or changes in their executive function. They may notice issues with their memory recall or with the formation of new memories. Handling complex matters that may have once been part of their work can become much more difficult. Other people develop a slow but potentially permanent shift in their personality and day-to-day mood.
Brain injuries can also cause a variety of physical symptoms. The brain controls people’s sensory processing and their physical movement. Some people notice a ringing in their ears or blurry vision after a brain injury. Others may notice a change in the way that they walk, their sense of balance or their fine motor control.
Those symptoms may worsen over time as the injury progresses. Other times, new symptoms may develop seemingly spontaneously because of the progression of a TBI. The only way to prevent a brain injury from worsening is to see a doctor and receive an accurate diagnosis. Proper treatment for a brain injury does not necessarily reverse or eliminate symptoms, but it can prevent the condition from worsening.
Seeing a doctor after a motor vehicle collision can help people obtain appropriate diagnostic services and treatment for potentially serious injuries. Drivers and passengers who recognize the early warning signs of a TBI can take the right steps when a collision leads to serious injuries.